The Integrated system for Natural Capital Accounting (INCA) in Europe: twelve lessons learned from empirical ecosystem service accounting

Open Access Article; Published online: 16 Sep 2022The Integrated system for Natural Capital Accounting (INCA) was developed and supported by the European Commission to test and implement the System of integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). Through the compilation of nine Ecosystem Services (ES) accounts, INCA can make available to any interested ecosystem accountant a number of lessons learned. Amongst the conceptual lessons learned, we can mention: (i) for accounting purposes, ES should be clustered according to the existence (or not) of a sustainability threshold; (ii) the assessment of ES flow results from the interaction of an ES potential and an ES demand; (iii) the ES demand can be spatially identified, but for an overarching environmental target, this is not possible; ES potential and ES demand could mis-match; (iv) because the demand remains unsatisfied; (v) because the ES is used above its sustainability threshold or (vi) because part of the potential flow is missed; (vii) there can be a cause-and-effect relationship between ecosystem condition and ES flow; (viii) ES accounts can complement the SEEA Central Framework accounts without overlapping or double counting. Amongst the methodological lessons learned, we can mention: (ix) already exiting ES assessments do not directly provide ES accounts, but will likely need some additional processing; (x) ES cannot be defined by default as intermediate; (xi) the ES remaining within ecosystems cannot be reported as final; (xii) the assessment and accounting of ES can be undertaken throughout a fast track approach or more demanding modelling procedures

Let's hear it from the cities:On the role of renewable energy in reaching climate neutrality in urban Europe

Renewable energy sources have emerged globally as a key lever to ensure energy security and to promote climate mitigation. Cities need to exploit this energy transition, but how they are building their strategies and actions is undetermined. A new dataset, collected through the European 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, offers unique insights on the 362 cities which expressed the ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2030. Insights include their level of preparedness, ambition, capacity and the risks envisaged in the pursuit of zero-emission and greener futures. This study focuses in particular on the role of renewable energy across high greenhouse gas emitting sectors in cities (e.g. buildings, mobility, waste and industry). It analyses i) the status quo for renewable energy generation, consumption, and policymaking, ii) the key measures to enhance and upscale renewable energy deployment in the near future, and iii) how policies and relevant instruments will evolve to curb emissions and accelerate the energy transition. The insights that emerge from the analysis are discussed in relation to existing evidence, to inform future research strands and forms of assistance for cities. Overall, for cities to deliver on large renewable projects, efforts need to be intensified, barriers need to be lifted and multi-governance approaches must be operationalised.</p

Geophysical explorations of the classical coastal settlement of Lechaion, Peloponnese (Greece)

Digital ArchaeologyClassical & Mediterranean Archaeolog

Application of the NBS impact evaluation framework: NBS performance and impact evaluation case studies

Selecting appropriate indicators of NBS performance and impact can bechallenging, and is context-dependent. In this chapter, we present case studiesfrom a variety of NBS demonstrations across Europe and Asia that illustrate theapplication of the NBS indicators and methods presented in Chapter 4 andthoroughly described in Evaluating the Impact of Nature-Based Solutions:Appendix of Methods. Each case study presents a brief NBS description, reasonsfor the selection of specific indicators for that particular NBS and a brief overviewof the ways the indicators are applied and/or monitored. The case studiesdescribe the stakeholders involved in co-design and co-monitoring of NBS anddiscuss the barriers and lessons learned during or after the process. Each casestudy provides key references for further reading.The case studies in this chapter focus on the selection of recommended indicatorsfor NBS performance and impact, which are generally of primary importancewhen creating NBS monitoring and evaluation plans. The case studies furtherdemonstrate how and why additional indicators can be selected to reflectparticular objectives of projects and local challenges

The Effect of Discharge, Tides, and Wind on Lift-Off Turbulence

Data from three deployments of a 1200 kHz moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) were used to study the factors affecting turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production in the lift-off zone of a mid-sized river plume (Merrimack River, Newburyport, MA) during the spring freshets of 2007, 2010, and 2011. TKE production was estimated from the ADCP data, during periods of minimal wave activity, using the variance method, with significant variability in plume thickness and TKE production observed between ebbs. Correlations with this observed variability and the primary environmental variables, such as river flow, wind speed/direction, and tidal range, were noted. On the basis of these observations, we quantify the contribution of these forcing mechanisms to the observed TKE production using an empirical approach based on the marginal value of the discharge Froude number (which is scaled from the environmental variables) above a critical value of one. The resulting regression provides a means for estimating TKE production in the lift-off zone as a function of only the environmental variables, and produces results consistent with previous observations from other turbulence measurement techniques in the Merrimack plume. The regression also provides an indication of the relative importance of the various forcing mechanisms, and suggests that onshore (east) winds and river discharge are the most important factors in controlling TKE production in the Merrimack plume, with tidal range of lesser significance